Volume Two: Codification

In the second of two volumes on the origins of football, Mike Roberts draws on the latest research and revisits original sources to tell the story of how the old folk tradition of football was transformed into the modern game. Or better put – games…

Despite the noble attempts of the Football Association, a unified football code was never to be. The sport was ultimately divided into soccer and rugby, the latter dividing again into rugby union and rugby league. Meanwhile, Australia, Ireland and North America took football in directions of their own.

As it takes us on a fascinating journey through the origins of each of these forms of football, The Same Old Game explores the reasons for their often strained relationships, and shows how these still shape rivalries between football communities today.